Questions & Answers
Soft twilight comes, the hour of rest; A crescent moon shines in the west, Yet on the roof and window-pane. I hear the welcome sound of rain— Soft summer shower, whose music falls On listening ears! The heart it calls To peace and joy and gratitude, Telling to all that God is good.
A FAITHFULL student read one night The Holy Scriptures,—his Scriptures,—his delight, His guide, his stay, his daily bread,— And these words stopped him as he read: "Thou shalt increase my greatness. " Yea, But what is greatness, who may say? Can it be wealth or power or fame, Or anything which men acclaim? Is it that greatness hedged with caste, Rank, pomp, precedence? Surely, passed Are all these childish vanities; And God increaseth none of these.
LIKE some small child who waking in the night, Half dazed with dreams, dim phantom shapes espies, Knowing one refuge only from his fright, And groping toward it to his mother cries,— E'en thus do I, when sometimes dreams of sense Creep up, with vague imagined horror shod, O'erwhelmed with fear, in human impotence, Turn quickly to our Father-Mother God. And like a child who finds his mother's arms So warm, so dear, so safe from shadow things, And laughs with her to see his wild alarms Were nothing but a curtain's flutterings,— I too would come to Thee, O Love divine, Helpless myself, but sure of help in Thee.
What is the prize the hero seeks to win? And there be prizes won in quiet ways, Unhonored by the nation's gala days, As great as any won midst battle din. What then this prize the hero fain would gain, So mortal life, and all that in it lies Of treasure, duty, or most sacred ties Bind him with greed, or pride, or love, in vain? Ah! brother, 'tis a joy you may not know Till you have touched his robe who, long ago, Won for himself and proved for us the life That walks serene amid earth's fiercest strife, Bearing the truth made manifest in deeds, Meeting with love divine all human needs.
Bathed in the roseate light of day, Love's thought glanced gladly on its way. Behold, afar, a bush in flame! From out the fire the message came.
Peace is declared, and these the terms of peace: Not to be worked for nor that work should cease; Not to be granted territories vast; But peace declared,—God's peace that aye shall last. Such peace means work for others, that all men May love to work together—ne'er again Shall evil's clouds of war be cast o'er earth.
See , tired child, the sun has gone to rest, And now the tender twilight veils the west,— Seek thou the quiet of thy mother's breast. See, weary heart, now Love a vision brings That silences all earthly clamorings,— Know thou the changeless calm of heavenly things.
Gaily it flits in the path of the sun, Light as a zephyr it goes! Pausing to rest on the tip of a flower, Nothing of darkness it knows. A butterfly gay, and so glad just because It's forgotten the poor little worm it once was! Perfection is calling! Shall we not obey, And turn from that clod which we seem? God's children are clad in the garments of Truth, They walk in the light of Love's beam! And just like the butterfly, shall we not show We've forgotten the past in the good that we know?
My heart is singing a glad new song Of the wonderful peace to be, When the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of God As the waters cover the sea. When mine shall be thine and thine shall be mine And strife and hate be o'er; When Love shall reign in the hearts of men, Then war will be no more.
Thou leadest me, O Love divine, I know, Beside the stream whence living waters flow. My anxious heart has heard thy "Peace, be still," And rests, content to wait and know Thy will.